


Family Man

by NeoVenus22



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-19
Updated: 2009-12-19
Packaged: 2017-10-04 15:59:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeoVenus22/pseuds/NeoVenus22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim doesn't know if he's doing the right thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Man

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: 6x10, 'Murder'

"You're insane, you know that, right?" says Jim, after Pam runs out of the building and jumps in the getaway vehicle as though she expects armed gunmen to come after her at any second.

She's actually out of breath when she answers. "Come on. You can't pretend that wasn't fun."

"Whatever you say, Forrest Gump," he says. He pauses at the parking lot exit and waits for a car to pass them by. He glances over at Pam, still wearing evidence-collecting gloves from the game, as though she's someone on an episode of CSI. Jim grins wildly. This is the mother of his child.

And then, after that moment of delirium that usually comes with thoughts of their pregnancy passes, he sobers instantly. Pam is the mother of his child. They are going to be bringing a tiny little Beesly-Halpert into the world, and Dunder Mifflin will be out of money by the end of the year. Jim is going to be a father soon, and he just spent the day pretending to be a crayfish tycoon instead of doing anything that might actually put crayfish on the table for his wife and kid.

Suddenly he can feel Pam's eyes on him. "That call with David Wallace wasn't just nothing, was it?" she says flatly. She knows him well enough to make her statement not a question.

"He didn't really want to listen to me about the supermarket pitch," he said. "He said he couldn't get his head around it right now."

"Well, that makes sense, i guess."

"Yep." Jim concentrates on his driving. It occurs to them they'll have to buy a car seat. The wedding shower wasn't all that lucrative; he wonders how much better a baby shower will be. He wants to swear. He just concentrates on his driving, slowing for a yellow light.

"Jim? Is everything okay? Is there something you're not telling me?"

He should tell her. After the whole fiasco with her mom and Michael, he knew and kept silent, she didn't speak to him for a day, screamed in his direction for five minutes, and he walked on eggshells for three days after that. Not the sort of thing he wanted to go through again, really.

And he should probably tell the rest of the staff. He has kept too many secrets for the wrong amount of time, and it always backfires on him. But he has disturbingly learned something from Michael's secretly genius attempts at leadership. Sometimes morale is more important than anything else. He wanted this job, he wanted this responsibility. For Pam and the baby. He figures he's responsible for helping keep up morale. And that includes Pam's.

"Yeah," he says. "There is." Pam waits expectantly. "I switched cards," he says. "During the second game. I got a female character and I switched with Kelly."

Pam's eyes widen, then her smile. He really loves that smile. It makes everything easier and harder all at once.

Then she whacks him on the chest. "You are such a cheater," she laughs.

"It was a girl's card!" he laughs back. "No hitting the driver."

"You would've looked good in a wig."

"I guess we'll have to wait for Michael's next big emotional crisis to find out," he says. He sort of wishes he hadn't. It might be too much.

But Pam doesn't think so. Or if she realizes the truth, she doesn't say anything. It occurs to him that maybe she's responsible for keeping up his morale. Pam just smiles and squeezes his arm. She still has the glove on her hand. In a weird way, it helps.


End file.
